Stay
by Lover of Deidara
Summary: The Gokage have all agreed on Obito's execution as the only surviving member of Akatsuki. Naruto knows what Obito means to his sensei, and not having any of this, he asks for Killer Bee to find Kakashi and Gai as he watches over the scene. Kakashi rushes in to prevent the execution, but Genma, too, has his own way of saving his precious classmate. -Partial intended KakaObi-


**A/N: So this is actually my first one-shot, since I've decided that since I don't finish stories, this would be the only way to do so. But this specific one-shot I had in mind for a little while and _really_ wanted to write it. The whole idea came to me mostly on its own, though a couple lyrical songs here and there helped. I plan to keep this a one-shot, unless my readers decide they really want it to be a two-shot, but beyond that, I can't promise.**

**Yes, there IS Shounen-Ai intended in this. There is such thing as a back button or X button. Use them well if you do not like the idea of a man falling for another man. The reason the main genre is Friendship is not because of Obito and Kakashi, but their classmates. Obito and Kakashi themselves would technically fall under Romance, but it's not the _main_ point of the story, though an important part.**

**Anyway, I really hope it's enjoyed. Happy reading to you all.  
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"As the final and surviving member of Akatsuki, and a traitor to allied nation Konoha, we execute this criminal for the terror of war he has brought down upon us!" The Raikage roared, standing beside Tsunade and his other fellow Kage, in front of the surviving war crowd. Turning, Ei gave a signaling nod to the two restraining the Uchiha. Ao and Darui returned it, dragging him back onto his feet and forcing him over to the guillotine. As a mutual decision within the group of Kage, they had all agreed that yes, this person was once a hero. Therefore, they would leave him with a swift death.

Looking down toward the crowd, Gaara's eyes scanned over it, searching for the blond hair and orange and black outfit. Upon finding Naruto in the crowd, he noticed the blond's worried expression. Why? Why would he care about a criminal? Or was he just nervous about an execution? What was wrong?

His eyes followed Naruto's line of sight as the teen turned his head, noticing Kakashi and two others in tow rushing to meet up with him. Recognizing the other two as Gai and Killer Bee, the redhead's eyes wandered to Tsunade. She did seem perplexed as to what they were doing, seeming to have rushed here and bypassing their physical limit.

Down in the scene of the crowd, Naruto called out to his sensei as the three caught up with him.

"Bee-san found us and explained to us what's happening." Kakashi told his student, only now aware of his labored breathing from running such a distance in such a short time. Gai and Killer Bee seemed to be in the same position. "I'm glad you had him find us... They're planning to execute him?" His already sinking feeling sank even lower as Naruto nodded to him nervously. Sure, the blond teen had previously been fighting with Kakashi's former teammate, but so much - too much - had happened. He couldn't bring himself to take the life of the last person on his sensei's childhood team. He couldn't let himself hurt his teacher more than he'd already been suffering. He wouldn't be the reason that his teacher was all alone.

"Hey, Kakashi! Wait!" Gai called out to his silver-haired classmate, but to no avail. The Jounin worked his way through the crowd in a hurried manner, trying to muster up more strength than his body could handle. Gai took this as a signal to follow and stay close behind, leaving Naruto and Killer Bee to watch over the scene from a distance.

Darui and Ao had barely made their way to the guillotine before they heard a strained voice call out a wary "Halt!". Both stopped and looked around their surroundings for the owner of the voice, eventually failing to find him on their own before he willing let his presence be known.

The two watched him with a hint of surprise, Darui recognizing him as being the Third Division captain. "Y-You're...! ...Do you need something, Kakashi-san?"

"Step away from him. I'll take care of it." Kakashi informed him with an almost deadly undertone, part of it being caused due to his patience having slipped away whilst he ran all the way to the location of the attempted execution. He wasn't in the mood for discussion or compromising - he wanted them to step away and he wanted it immediately.

"But... Kakashi-san... You know who this guy is, don't you? He started this war. We can't take the risk of letting him getting away. It took all we had just to restrain him once." Darui answered seriously, eyes shifting from Obito back to Kakashi.

"Yes, I know exactly who he is. And that's why you're going to step aside and let _me _deal with it."

Noticing the tone in Kakashi's voice getting lower, Darui carefully eyed Ao on the other side of Obito, both slowly releasing the Uchiha and backing off.

Looking up at Kakashi, Obito found he couldn't stop himself from asking what he really wanted to know. "...Why...? Why help me now? After so much..."

The look in his old teammate's eyes was killing the silver-haired Jounin. They were empty. Almost regretting. Almost... dead. As if they would be no different now than if he'd lost his life here. "There's nothing wrong with saving the life of the person who saved my life." Kakashi answered in an honest, quiet voice, staring into that one ebony eye darker than the night.

No way. He was joking, right? How could such a... ridiculous reason... "I started this war that claimed over half the lives of your army. What does saving a single life mean against _that_?" Obito didn't bother hiding the incredulous undertone seeping from his voice. Staring evenly at Kakashi, he waited expectantly for an answer.

"Maybe I'm just being selfish..." Kakashi told him hopelessly, almost wincing at the stern reply.

"Damn right."

Sighing, he continued. "I... don't think I can live through losing you twice. Twice in such cruel ways that someone like you doesn't deserve to go through." He paused until he was prompted to continue.

"Go on."

"And this war isn't your fault."

Obito looked at him skeptically. "You _are_ joking, aren't you?" He started it - he announced it - so who else was to blame? The moon? Hell, the moon would have been the victim.

"Didn't Madara influence you?"

"That doesn't mean I had to start a war he wasn't alive to see me announce!" The Uchiha was getting impatient, starting to snap at the Jounin in front of him.

"There was no other way to capture the Hachibi or Kyuubi. This war gave you that chance. And if Madara wished to be resurrected at a specific time, and at that time, you didn't have them yet-"

"Okay, so you're admitting I helped the villain here. Doesn't that make me a villain, too? Stop being so hellbent on rescuing me."

"You don't really want this." Kakashi finally stated bluntly.

Taken aback by the comment, Obito stared back at him in shock. "...What?"

"You're just taking responsibility for anything you've done. That also makes you your own hero. But you want to go back. You really just want to go back in time and reverse this mess. To be with everyone again... To at the very least, live the life you were torn from. The life you could be living right now if none of this ever happened."

It took the dark-haired Akatsuki survivor a moment to react to Kakashi's insight, a look of uncertainty appearing on his face. "How could you-"

"I feel the same way. That's why I told you I was probably just being selfish. I want you around to experience the life I thought I could never have. Part of this is my fault, too. Had I treated you better, the way you _deserved_ to be treated, we wouldn't have had so many problems with each other. It wouldn't have led to the day I lost you. And that day led to _all this_. You're not the majority of the blame. I was stupid, and rules and pride were more important. I always had to show off and seem better than you... when it was you who was better than me. You're even now willing to give up your life for sins that exist, well... because of me. I want you to live the life you should have never lost. Take me out of the picture and where would you be right now? In Konoha, as a proud Shinobi protecting your home." He looked at Obito almost sadly as he finished his thoughts. "You don't need to face death and act tough when confronted with it. Much less when you've been given a second chance to come home just by being alive."

Staring in almost awe, Obito hadn't even realized he'd gone completely silent. A part of his teammate he'd never been able to see... Had he really been like this for sixteen years? Where did that time go? Why had it been wasted? He had a second chance and he'd ruined it. They could have lived that life Kakashi spoke of if he hadn't been so stupid. If they just talked it all out... If he hadn't jumped to ridiculous conclusions about everything and ran away, not even trying to face his problems... Trying to abandon his old life and to try to simply _forget_. Had Kakashi really done and felt the same?

Both were ripped from their thoughts as Ao's voice filled the silence they'd created.

"Kakashi-san, we understand he's a childhood friend, but that just isn't reason enough to save him. His crimes cannot go unpunished."

"Then be sure to execute me first." Kakashi responded without at all wavering. Both Ao and Obito gave him a horrified, shocked look. Gai and Naruto also found themselves standing in place with bated breaths at hearing this.

"Do you... even understand what you're saying?!" Ao's voice had raised in what was almost frustration. "He's a criminal! A traitor to _your_ village!"

"A criminal... A traitor, huh..." Kakashi easily remembered their days as Academy students and Genin - Obito's sometimes obscene antics and hissy fits over their difference in skill. His stubbornness, all those pointless tears, the excuses, smiles, laughter, tardiness, protectiveness for _all_ his companions; even Kakashi who treated him poorly, those silly goggles... His self-assured displays. A criminal? Him? Betrayer of his friends and comrades? _Him_? It wasn't possible. It was all just... _lies_.

"You..." Kakashi started, his single available eye locking onto Ao's only visible eye. "...don't even _know_ him." He answered, nearly infuriated, feeling the heated emotions pour into his gut at once. "You know _nothing_ about the boy I knew from back then, who would _never _have done this. The only person who dared to stand up to me and not praise me; to right my horribly wrong personality." All he could feel was the flooding anger - the outrage. How dare this man act like he has any right to claim knowledge on this boy's life.

Kakashi kept to himself for a moment, realizing he was losing control. It wasn't like him. Slowing down, he continued. "How can you _possibly_ attack his decisions and criticize him when you know absolutely nothing - _nothing_ - about his life? About him? Not even his name? The boy I would defend so desperately to save; all this from one fool everyone has always respected and looked at in awe - that some have even _feared_?"

Ao looked on in pure shock, Darui even having frozen in place as the Shinobi of Konoha stood unwavering in his convictions - his commitment.

Obito had wanted to say something - anything - but had no idea _what_ to say. He'd lost his will to fight back. Kakashi was fighting so hard to protect him - practically on the verge of tears from so much anger that one human body should never have to experience. He didn't deserve bthis... But then, Kakashi felt he didn't deserve Obito's kindness, either.

"Do you know where I got this Sharingan from?" Kakashi's voice was low; cracking. He'd been so infuriated he really just wanted to run into his teammate's arms and cry his whole life out. All of it was so fucked up anyway... He'd ruined his own life. And he didn't want someone as sincere and delicate as Obito to have his life ruined, too, by _his_ stupidity and _his_ pathetic life. It just wasn't right.

Instead of finishing his sentence, the Jounin merely pointed at Obito for a brief moment, the couple seconds themselves practically insisting he wanted to say, "_Him_".

"I'm this great, amazing, renowned Shinobi, known as the Copy Ninja Kakashi..." Yes, a reason and a _perfect chance_ to finally let the _world_ itself know, with all these Shinobi from all five elemental nations gathered here - all these unknowing people who only knew him for appearances and never knew the _truth_ - "because of him." Eying each of the nearby Kage in turn, his gaze lingering on his own Kage who knew him quite well and on the Kazekage, who had once confronted himself and Sasuke as a bloodthirsty _murderer_ - never put to death, though, for such actions - he continued to speak. "If someone here should be punished for everything that's happened, it's more me who is responsible than this guy. Besides, I guess I'm a traitor now, too, for taking another traitor's side and defending him. So, if removing only my traitorous head isn't enough, and none of you can agree to leave him with his after I'm gone, why not end us both as... criminals?"

Kakashi had nothing against Gaara, and he certainly didn't want the young Kazekage to be put to death. But why was the world so cruel? Why did everything have to seek out one innocent child and force everything onto his shoulders? Why did only Obito, who tried to give the world nothing but his best and all of his heart, have to suffer at fate's loathing, unforgiving hands? Why did fate choose _him_? Of all the terrible people to choose from, and it settles on...

Not too far from the scene, in the midst of all the awed, devastated faces, Genma nodded his head from his classmates over to his other two classmates at the heart of the scene, gaining an accepting nod from all the others; them calmly working their way through the mass of people over toward the conflict itself.

Reaching the very core of the drama, Genma kept his hands securely in his pockets, toothpick in mouth as always as if this were a most casual meeting. "Hey. It took you long enough to come on back home." He said, looking directly at Obito, also gaining Kakashi's attention.

Staring back at the brunet before him, recognizing his old friend, Obito's eyes wandered to the group of people standing behind Genma. "You're... all...?"

Genma almost laughed at the surprised look on the Uchiha's face. "Don't you recognize your classmates? All of us - we went through our Academy days together; from the entrance ceremony all the way to our graduation."

"Gen...ma..." It was almost funny. The other male looked exactly the same. Kakashi, Raidou, Gai, Aoba, Iruka, Anko, Ibiki; even Ebisu. He could recognize all of them. Only Ibiki looked any different.

"Wait up! You're missing one!" Kakashi and Genma could both identify the familiar voice - Shikamaru was on his way.

"Just 'cause she's been in the hospital having just given birth recently, you don't need to forget Kurenai-sensei, do you?" Shikamaru asked his superiors teasingly, bringing her into the group's line of sight. He looked over at Obito, a slight smile gracing the genius' face. "So you're the guy who stole that Shinobi weapon from my squad. Never would've guessed you were Asuma-sensei's childhood classmate."

Unsure how to respond to the brunet teen, all the Uchiha could manage to say was a quick, "Um...?"

"Oh, come on. You don't remember me? You complimented my intellect and said it was a shame we were on opposing forces."

"I... don't really remember."

"It's alright, Shikamaru." Genma assured the teen. "His memory wasn't ever the most grand of our bunch."

Rather than throw a retort back at Genma, Obito looked momentarily at Kurenai, not even aware when he voiced his thoughts on her appearance. "...She looks the same, too..."

"What?" Ibiki blinked at Obito, thrown off-guard by the remark.

"You all... look the same..." Looking back at Shikamaru, his eyes softened into a much sadder look. "And there's these kids that are our age, just a bit older... All that time... All of _my_ time... What happened to it? How am I supposed to make up all those years?"

"Well..." Gai started. "You didn't grow up with us, but some of our classmates will never grow old with us."

"That's right." Raidou nodded. "So why don't you grow old with us in their place? Hayate, Asuma, Rin... We've lost them all since the day we graduated way back when."

"We have to live the fullest lives we can for them." Iruka agreed.

Briefly scanning his old class, Obito asked, "Where's Mizuki?"

"Ah, him." Ebisu coughed lightly into his hand. "He was a... piece of work, that one."

"He was declared a threat to the village for trying to steal the forbidden scroll and locked up." Iruka explained sadly, vividly remembering that day even now. "That was four years ago."

"Four years..." It seemed so long; such a long time to be away, yet compared to the whole of sixteen...

"See, look. Time to come back." Anko announced quickly before the mood dropped again. "Hell, I'm still recuperating from an attack by Kabuto and -"

"I know. I saw you after he fought you."

"...Oh. Well, see, now we can throw a party for when I recover and for your return."

"Anko, who ever said we were having a party for your recovery?" Kurenai questioned jokingly.

"Nobody, but-"

"We should!" Gai jumped in, preventing her from finishing. "We're not gonna be young forever! Besides, we should all have at least one night where we're all kids at heart again! Besides _that_, Obito here needs some catching up. A party is perfect for that, no? Genma, bring the sakè, would you?"

"Tch. Why do I have to be responsible for everyone getting drunk?" Genma responded, giving an exasperated look. The rest of the group chuckled - they knew he was joking.

"No, we just have to blame Gai." Aoba laughed. "We'll all say he pressured you into it. Just peer pressure. We'll be kids at heart for the night, remember?"

Watching everyone like this, being reminded _this_ is the life he used to live, to be a part of; all those fun childhood days - the ones that so quickly flew him by, finally struck a chord in Obito that had him crying instantly. The others laughed lightly at the sudden display - he hadn't changed at all, either. Somewhere deep down, the same Obito they all knew was still there; just trying to hide away from the world...

Obito hadn't even noticed himself - his own body - having placed itself safely in Kakashi's arms, giving no effort to stop himself from crying for having tried to give up this life for one that would have gotten him nowhere at all. That Genjutsu wouldn't be true peace - _this_ was true peace. Hearing his real friends laugh around him like this... feeling a warm body holding him close as he cried - really cried - for something he had every right to... Why couldn't he see this so much sooner?

Holding Obito close, Kakashi wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. Not too long ago, he'd wanted to do the same thing. But this way... Yeah; this was the way it was supposed to be. He always did cry. Why should now have to be an exception?

By the time Obito had run out of tears to shed, the rest of his graduating class were reminiscing of fond childhood memories. Had he really brought all of this about? All this happiness? Slowly pulling away from Kakashi and the comfort of those tight arms surrounding him, he turned back to his classmates, who all stopped to look back at him, each with their own individual smile.

"I'm sorry..."

Watching him silently, Kakashi firmly grasped onto Obito's hand, his fingers holding onto the back of the Uchiha's hand securely and comfortingly.

It wasn't just him. If he had been alone, he might not have been able to do it... But with the help of their old class, he was able to save Obito. And he knew he owed Genma so much for this.

"Obito..." The dark-haired male looked over at Kakashi with weak eyes, the evidence of his tears still reflecting in those mismatched eyes. "...Welcome back."

Before Obito could say anything, Genma cut him off with, "We can't very well say 'Welcome home', since this isn't Konoha... but once we reach those gates, it'll be the first thing we say. Promise."

Obito shook his head at the remark. "Don't you think you're all being a bit too nice to me after what I did? I doubt they'd be willing to let me go anyway..."

"I think they would." Aoba grinned reassuringly, moving aside to allow Obito's sight to view exactly what was going on around them.

Rather than seeing scornful faces, most of the people around them had a plain, yet peaceful look on their face. Something his class... no, something his friends did changed their minds. Somehow, all the laughter and the smiles from these beloved Konoha Shinobi changed their minds.

"We've still got a few things to deal with." Ibiki informed him; but the smile on his face said something important to everyone. "We want you with us when we have to confront these problems."

"So come on! Don't get soppy on us!" Gai cheered brightly, throwing out a hand in the center of everyone.

Genma nodded and gave a typical smirk, bringing his hand in and grabbing Gai's wrist. Both of them looked expectantly at the rest of their comrades.

"Well, we all did it before as kids." Ebisu agreed, grabbing onto Genma's wrist.

"The day we entered the Academy, the day before the graduation exam, and the day we graduated." Raidou nodded, holding onto Ebisu's wrist. The rest of them quickly followed suit, all of them staring with the most expectant look at Obito, who sighed at their display, but knew what he really wanted to do.

"We're not kids anymore, you know." He told them just before grabbing onto Kakashi's wrist, his other hand tightly holding onto the hand that held his. Each of them all pulling their hands back out at the same time, they called out in sync to each other, "For Konoha!"

When they found themselves standing there quietly, only smiles blessing the moment, their hands back down at their hands, Kakashi turned to him. "See? You're slow. You can't even grab our wrists in a timely fashion." Before he could get out another comment, he yelped as he found himself tackled onto the ground, opening his eyes with his back placed firmly on the ground to see a blank look on Obito's face as the slightly older male stared back down at him.

"You're slow, too. That's pretty bad reaction time."

"Don't expect me to start pouting like you do. Just because you caught me off guard once doesn't mean you've gotten a leg up on me."

"Wait a few more weeks. I'll be a better Shinobi than Minato-sensei."

"A few weeks? A few _years_ might get you a _centimeter_ up on _him_."

"Then you just watch over me and make sure I don't slack off so I can manage as soon as possible."

Both stared at each other with straight faces for another few seconds before they found they couldn't anymore. They broke out in a laugh, Obito rolling off his silver-haired teammate and lying next to him, looking straight up at the sky, aware Kakashi was doing the same.

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, all the others keeping with the silence and refusing to interrupt the moment. They were all wrapped in their own thoughts, so satisfied with the result of the war that they could hardly believe they were just in one. They managed to get someone important to them back... For that to happen through all of the days they recently went through... There was definitely some blessing upon them at this very moment.

"Hey." Obito suddenly broke the silence, Kakashi turning his head to face the Uchiha. "It's only us, you know. Minato-sensei and Rin aren't here. We have to work twice as hard."

"You mean I have to work three times as hard?" Kakashi joked, cringing slightly as he earned a light elbow to his side.

"You mean you'll take me with you and do all the work for me?"

"Maybe. If you curry favor enough."

"The best option on that one is a pass."

"I'd say that's less work for me then, but there probably still won't be any difference."

"Guess I'm not good enough. You might want to replace me for a new teammate, then."

"Nah. There'd be nobody else to pick on if I did that."

"So you're keeping me, right?"

"Always."

They both looked at each other quietly, ebony eyes staring into each other as if reading each other's souls. If they were, they knew they were both being told the same thing. And it was definitely reassuring. That look in their eyes that clearly, softly assured the other, "I love you".

"You know what you can do if you really want to welcome me back into the village?"

"Hm?"

"Go carve my name into a tree with shuriken. Tell everyone I'm back that way."

"Why would you ask me to do _that_, Obito?"

"You did it before. Hell only knows for what odd reason. I was right there."

"Oh, that. Yeah, only hell does know. But, well, I think you know, too."

"Kakashi, do you know many thousands of people are standing here?"

"Over several. But maybe they'll get the hint on their own. We die together or we live together. And it looks like they don't mind us living together."

"I'm glad... Really glad... From the day I announced this war, I never expected it to end like... _this_. To see everyone come back to me, for me to go back to them... To know everyone cared all that time, while here I thought they'd all long since forgotten I was ever around."

Instead of responding, Kakashi brought himself back to his feet, holding out a hand to his Uchiha teammate. Obito grabbed onto it and let himself be pulled up, finding it too hard to let go once their hands were together. So he didn't.

"Hey, guys?" Obito looked toward his friends, who looked back at him curiously. "...I'm back." They all nodded to him with cheerful, almost relieved smiles, Gai getting back into position with his hand in the middle of the group.

"One more time! This time for the Allied Shinobi Force! We're gonna be the one group that keeps it together through it all! Full power this time! The explosion of youth at its fullest!"

Obito and Kakashi watched as the others held onto each other's wrists, both looking at each other serenely as they became the last two to add their hands into the pile. Upon doing so, Gai added just before everyone could speak, "And Genma, we all know you had this planned since the second Kakashi burst in here."

Genma laughed at the accusation. "Guess I was a bit more obvious than I would've hoped. I apologize for being the mastermind behind this."

"So come on! One more time! Make it big, now!" Gai shouted in a manner meant to hype up the response.

Pulling their hands out of the pile, every one of them shouted in unison, "For the Allied Shinobi Force!"

_We'll always be together... We were just kids - so young - but we promised. Hayate... Asuma... Rin... Can you hear us now? You, too... You'll be here with us. Because we're always together. Always._

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**A/N: For anyone curious, the songs that had a little to do with some of these scenes were My Own Prison by Creed, Naked by Avril Lavigne, Mess of Me by Switchfoot, and You Don't Have To Let Go & Underneath by Jessica Simpson. I tried to work my way into making You Don't Have To Let Go from both Kakashi and Obito's perspectives. Plus, the songs I found worked well for the actual series, so I really wanted to use them.**

**Please leave a review!**


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